What we carry with us

How can we humanize the phenomenon of immigration? How can we get away from big data to talk about individual stories and intimate journeys?

As an Information Designer, Gabriela created an immersive installation designed for museums. Thanks to Kinect technology, the visitor is welcomed into the migrant’s personal space. The migrant tells their story and shares the meaning of objects from their country of origin. After interacting with the objects in the room and conversing with the migrant, the user accesses key statistics on immigration to France. The goal? To make sure that between the small and the big story, there is only one step to take: a step towards others.

" ’What we carry with us’, by Gabriela Munoz, is a museum installation that invites us to "live" the situation of migrants in Europe. We discover fragments of their personal history, their journeys and their aspirations. When walking round a museum, visitors are too often reduced to the role of passive spectator. On the contrary, in the installation proposed by Gabriela, they become actively involved in an exchange with the migrant. The latter shares certain personal objects that become the driving force behind an engaged and engaging dialogue. In the form of a mini-documentary film, several narrative threads initiated by the visitor intersect and tell a story. The gestural interface chosen by Gabriela does not require any particular training. It enables a natural and spontaneous immersion. A section presenting data on migration completes this interactive device. In order to propose this sensitive project, Gabriela successfully sought the input of cultural mediators, datavisualization specialists and a community of migrants."

Matthias Rischewski - Media Design Masters programs Course Leader